At the same time,
In another world,
Aichi Coexistence Private Academy.
At this moment, the S-14 world was also enveloped in deep night.
But it was completely different from the bustling, Adventurer-filled, alcohol-scented night of Orario.
The night here was excessively quiet.
Only the occasional low chirping of summer insects could be heard.
And the fleeting glimmer of flashlights from distant patrol guards sweeping across the treetops.
The air was thick with a stifling, low-pressure atmosphere.
Ever since that man claiming to be a god descended a few days ago, taking away the five swords of the world who ruled this academy, along with the Empress who had reigned supreme at the apex,
The entire Aichi Coexistence Private Academy seemed to have lost its soul.
Even though the Aichi Coexistence Private Academy Head—Fujibayashi Yoshino—had been publicly stating that the five swords of the world and the Empress had merely gone overseas for emergency special training and research, to maintain a facade of normalcy.
But those within the core circle of Aichi Coexistence Private Academy knew—it was a farewell with no known date of return, or perhaps, even a permanent farewell.
In a club activity room on the third floor of the girls' dormitory,
The air was filled with the classic Japanese seafood cup noodle smell, mixed with the stifling heat unique to early summer nights, making everyone feel even more irritable.
"Sigh..."
A long sigh broke the silence, echoing in the empty room.
A blue-haired girl with short brown hair, a pencil habitually tucked behind her ear—Tanihara Kinu—was sprawled ungracefully over the table.
Listlessly, she poked at the cup of noodles in front of her, which had already bloated from soaking, shredding the already limp noodles into a mess, much like her current mood.
"Do you think... Big Sister and the others will really come back?"
Sitting opposite her was a brown-haired girl—Higashitsune Tsunemi—who was fanning herself idly with an iron fan.
Hearing this, her fanning motion paused for a moment.
Her eyes dim, she gazed out the window at the boundless pitch-black night sky.
"Who knows."
"The power that deity displayed... it was like a monster, no, even more terrifying than a monster."
"Tearing space, making people vanish directly... such a thing is unheard of, a power that exists only in sci-fi movies or mythological legends."
"And..."
Higashitsune Tsunemi frowned, lowered her voice, and leaned forward slightly, as if afraid of being overheard.
"Weren't there military people here a couple of days ago?"
"Driving those unmarked military armored vehicles, and even a few Black Hawk helicopters circling around for a long time. With that kind of commotion, anyone would think World War III was about to start."
"Yeah."
Bringing up this topic, Saruwatari Nico, who had been fiddling with nuts nearby while wearing goggles, also looked up, pushing up the slightly bulky goggles on her nose.
"I saw that too."
"Seemed like some people brought a bunch of really high-tech looking equipment, beeping and scanning all over the place, turning the old gymnasium inside out."
"Said they were searching for some residual high-energy reaction or something."
"And the result?"
Tanihara Kinu pressed, though she could probably guess, she still wanted confirmation.
Saruwatari Nico shrugged, spread her hands, with a look of disdain.
"Of course, they found nothing."
"I was hiding in the ventilation shaft eavesdropping on a few guards. They said those military experts' faces turned green, muttering about everything being completely normal, no abnormal fluctuations, stuff like that."
"In the end, the leading officer threw a huge tantrum, his face black as a pot, and could only slink away in disgrace."
"Basically, they came up empty-handed, all of them slinking off, not even daring to make a peep."
Hearing this, the atmosphere in the activity room grew even more oppressive.
"Even this country's most advanced equipment couldn't detect any traces..."
Higashitsune Tsunemi sighed, closed her iron fan, and tapped it lightly against her palm.
"That can only mean the level of that deity who took Big Sister away... is completely beyond our comprehension, an existence from a different dimension altogether."
"If that's the case... then the probability of Big Sister returning after being taken by a deity..."
Higashitsune Tsunemi did not continue speaking.
But everyone present knew the answer in their hearts.
That probability was likely lower than winning the grand prize in a lottery.
"Ah---"!
"So annoying!"
Thinking of this, Tanihara Kinu also became completely agitated. She fiercely grabbed her hair, messing up her blue locks until they looked like a bird's nest.
"With Big Sister gone, everything feels pointless!"
"Those underclassmen have been getting restless lately!"
"I really want to hear Big Sister shout 'My little ones' again..."
With that said,
The three slumped back in their chairs, like three salted fish who had lost their dreams, staring blankly at the dim incandescent light bulb on the ceiling.
However.
Just as these three young women, who had lost their backbone, were sighing and the atmosphere was extremely heavy...
...Suddenly.
Outside the window, the courtyard, which had been pitch black, suddenly lit up without any warning!
A soft yet incredibly dazzling milky-white light instantly tore through the night sky!
That light passed through the window and spilled directly into the activity room, causing Tanihara Kinu and the others, who were slumped in their chairs, to squint instantly and instinctively raise their hands to shield their eyes.
"Wha- what's going on?!"
"A sea- searchlight?! So bright?!"
"Are the military people back again?! Could it be they didn't find anything and came back unwillingly to arrest people?!"
Tanihara Kinu and the others were startled and hurriedly jumped up from their chairs, looking flustered.
However.
When they rushed to the window, leaned over the frame, and clearly saw the scene outside...
The three people, six eyes, instantly widened until they were round!
Their mouths gaped wide enough to fit an egg, and they even forgot to breathe.
They saw.
On the neatly trimmed lawn of the courtyard.
Where there should have been nothing, there was now an elliptical gate of light, floating half a foot off the ground and emitting a faint white glow!
The edge of the light gate swirled with a strange halo, and the interior did not show the scenery on this side, but connected to another unknown space!
And.
Right before their shocked eyes.
Several figures, too familiar to be more familiar—figures they could even say they thought of in their dreams—were stepping out of that elliptical gate of light, one after another, setting foot on this familiar land again.
The person leading them, with that vibrant yellow hair looking especially dazzling under the light, was wearing that familiar customized uniform, and on his face was an expression that seemed a little punchable, yet was incomparably intimate—the signature energetic smile.
Hanasaka Warabi!
"My little ones!!!"
"I, Hanasaka Warabi, am back!!"
"Aren't you going to come out and welcome this master quickly!!"
As soon as Hanasaka Warabi landed, before her heels were even steady, she immediately put her hands on her hips and shouted toward the direction of the girls' dormitory building, channeling her energy from her core.
That shout was full of vigor and extremely penetrating.
In the silent night sky, it was simply like a clap of thunder from a clear sky.
The dead silent girls' dormitory instantly exploded into chaos.
In the activity room.
"Bi- Big Sister?!"
Tanihara Kinu was draped over the windowsill, completely stunned. She rubbed her eyes hard, even pinching her own thigh fiercely, suspecting that she was hallucinating because she missed Big Sister too much.
"It really is Big Sister!!"
"And... that is..."
Higashitsune Tsunemi pointed towards the shadows behind Hanasaka Warabi, her voice trembling, and her fingers pointing at the light gate were also shaking.
They saw that behind Hanasaka Warabi, a massive dark shadow slowly squeezed out of the light gate.
It was a giant Black Bear!
Its body was as sturdy as a small mountain, and it was carrying a small bear that also looked a bit dazed on its back.
"That's Kyoujin! And Little Bear!"
"Big Sister and the others really are back!!"
Seeing this scene, the three of them became extremely excited.
"What are you waiting for! Hurry up and go down!"
Tanihara Kinu was the first to react. She immediately turned around and rushed towards the door, almost losing her shoes in her haste.
"Big Sister!!!"
Higashitsune Tsunemi and Saruwatari Nico also rushed out of the activity room as if they had gone mad, running wildly down the stairs. The noise they made sounded as if they were about to stomp the stairs into collapse, and the sound of their hurried footsteps could even be heard echoing in the hallway.
...Meanwhile.
The Girls' Dormitory.
Following Hanasaka Warabi's earth-shattering shout, the usually quiet and somewhat oppressive dormitory instantly erupted.
Countless windows were pushed open with a "whoosh," and heads wearing pajamas with messy hair peeked out.
When they saw the magical light gate that had not yet dissipated in the courtyard, and the figures standing before that elliptical gate of light...
Screams, cheers, and gasps of disbelief erupted one after another, instantly shattering the tranquility of the night.
"Hanasaka Warabi!"
"That's Sister Rin!"
"And Mary-sama!"
"Heavens! They're all back!"
...On the courtyard lawn.
Before Hanasaka Warabi could strike a second handsome pose, she saw three familiar figures rushing out from the dormitory entrance, kicking up dust in their wake.
"Big Sister--!!!"
Tanihara Kinu rushed to the front, her messy blue hair flying in the wind, tears and snot streaming down her face. She looked exactly like a puppy abandoned by its owner for three days finally seeing its master, launching herself in a flying tackle toward Hanasaka Warabi.
Completely disregarding her image.
"Whoa! You guys!"
Hanasaka Warabi was startled and instinctively tried to dodge, but seeing that familiar tear-streaked face, her own face broke into a wide smile.
She opened her arms and firmly caught the charging Tanihara, and in the process, she was also embraced tightly by Higashitsune Tsunemi and Saruwatari Nico who were right behind her.
The four instantly rolled into a ball.
"Big Sister! You really came back!"
"Waaah... We thought you wouldn't ever return after being taken away by the gods!"
"After you left, those military people suddenly showed up, it was so scary... They were pointing guns everywhere, it terrified us!"
As soon as Hanasaka Warabi appeared,
The three high school seniors, who usually held some status in the academy, immediately cried like hundred-pound babies, their tears soaking Hanasaka Warabi's clothes.
"Oh dear, oh dear, why are you crying! It's so embarrassing!"
Although Hanasaka Warabi complained verbally, her hands still vigorously rubbed their heads, messing up their hairstyles even more, and a wave of warmth surged in her heart.
This was a bond.
"How could anything happen to me! I am a Familia chosen by the Divine Lord!"
"The Divine Lord is so good to us! Not only did He give us delicious food, but He also gave us weapons to fight monsters, and even leveled me up!"
Hanasaka Warabi comforted these crybabies while showing off proudly, her nose practically pointing to the sky.
"See! And Kyoujin got even stronger!"
As Hanasaka Warabi spoke, she casually pointed to the giant bear lazily lying on the lawn behind her, yawning.
The crying of the three immediately stopped, and they choked back tears as they looked over.
Although Kyoujin's appearance hadn't changed—still looking Silly (simple/honest)—
The fur on its body had clearly become shinier and darker black.
Moreover, the aura faintly emanating from it was deeper and heavier than before, causing a sense of palpitation.
It was the aura of a fierce beast baptized by slaughter.
"So amazing..."
Seeing this scene, the three instantly showed expressions of worship, and stars appeared in their eyes.
"Big Sister, was that other world fun?"
"Did you encounter any powerful monsters?"
"What does an alternate world look like? Is there really a Dungeon there?"
Tanihara Kinu, Higashitsune Tsunemi, and Saruwatari Nico immediately transformed into curious babies, surrounding Hanasaka Warabi and chattering non-stop, afraid to miss a single detail.
...On the other side.
The other people were also experiencing their own reunions.
"Si- Sister Rin?"
A slightly timid voice carrying a hint of disbelief came.
Rin, who was standing at the edge of the lawn adjusting her slightly disheveled collar, felt her body shake violently upon hearing the voice and quickly turned her head.
She saw.
Not far away, under a cherry blossom tree.
A petite girl with short pink hair, wearing what looked like a middle school uniform, was standing there.
Her hands were tightly clutching the hem of her skirt.
Her large eyes were brimming with tears, full of disbelief.
It was Rin's number one supporter!
And the one hailed as the second strongest, who always regarded Rin as her idol—Mozunono Nono!
"Nonone!"
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